California Gender Recognition Act (SB 179)

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What is the California Gender Recognition Act?

The Gender Recognition Act (California Senate Bill 179) was signed into law and went into full effect January 1st, 2019. In brief, SB 179 streamlines the process for Californians to apply to change their gender markers, and creates a nonbinary gender category on California birth certificates, drivers' licenses, identity cards, and gender-change court orders (the letter "x"). This enables many in our community, including transgender, intersex and nonbinary people, to have full recognition in the State of California. The law was authored by Sens. Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) and Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and sponsored by Equality California and the Transgender Law Center.

FAQs Regarding the California Gender Recognition Act

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What does this mean for UCSF?

The Gender Recognition Act has implications throughout the campus, and in particular in areas where we organize by gender in binary ways. For example, many parts of employment processes, housing, sports facilities, payroll systems and recreational areas are designated by gender in a binary way (men and women). Our campus will need to change in order to serve students, faculty and staff who are transgender, intersex and nonbinary.

UCSF has established the SB 179 Task Force to determine which processes and systems need to be changed in accordance with the Gender Recognition Act and assist divisions, units, and departments with those changes. The Executive Sponsors of the SB 179 Task Force are Renee Navarro, Vice Chancellor and Chief Diversity Officer and David Odato, Associate Vice Chancellor Human Resources, UCSF and Senior Vice President, Human Resources, UCSF Health.

What are the goals and composition of the SB 179 Task Force?

The SB 179 Task Force advises divisions, units and departments preparing for an additional gender category in alignment with SB 179. The task force assists the campus in making strategic, systemic changes to ensure inclusion of transgender, nonbinary and intersex people and identify obstacles. The task force educates and trains to ensure inclusive service delivery/daily practice. To contact the task force, email the co-chairs Klint Jaramillo and Sue Forstat.

Task Force membership

The SB 179 Task Force is made up of representatives from these departments:

  • Co-chairs:
  • UCSF Human Resources
    • Campus & Health Talent Acquisition
    • Campus Onboarding/Health Operations
    • Post Doc & Academic Shared Services
  • Academic Affairs/ Academic Recruitment & Advancement
  • Office of Diversity and Outreach/LGBT Resource Center
  • Office of the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination
  • UCSF Controller's Office/Payroll
  • UCSF Health Experience/Patient Relations/Decedent Affairs
  • Benioff Children's Hospital/Birth Certificate Services
  • UCSF Housing
  • UC Police Department
  • Registrar
  • Student Health and Counseling Services
  • Center of Excellence for Transgender Health
  • Staff Representative – UCSF Committee on LGBTQ
  • Student Representative – School of Dentistry

I think my department, unit, or division needs to make some changes to ensure we are in compliance with the Gender Recognition Act. What should I do?

First, assess places where your area uses gender in a binary way (i.e. male and female, or men and women). Then, determine what steps might need to be implemented in order to ensure inclusion of an "x" category into these systems. This might entail updating campus data systems, reformatting reports, including "x" in surveys and assessments, and addressing physical spaces and facilities. This may also require training for frontline staff to ensure appropriate implementation of inclusive policies and customer service practices. Once you've made an initial assessment, contact SB 179 Task Force co-chairs Klint Jaramillo and Sue Forstat with your findings, and the task force will work with you to support your necessary change efforts.

I don't understand the difference between transgender, nonbinary, and intersex. What's the difference?

Transgender is an umbrella term used to describe people whose gender identity or gender expression do not match the gender they were assigned at birth. For example, some people who were assigned to be male at birth are female (trans women). Some people who were assigned to be female at birth are male (trans men). Some transgender people have medically transitioned, undergoing gender affirming surgeries and hormonal treatments, while other transgender people do not choose any form of medical transition. There is no uniform set of procedures that are sought by transgender people that pursue medical transition. Transgender people may identify as female, male, or nonbinary, may or may not have been born with intersex traits, may or may not use gender-neutral pronouns, and may or may not use more specific terms to describe their genders, such as agender, genderqueer, gender fluid, Two Spirit, bigender, pangender, gender nonconforming, or gender variant.

Nonbinary people have gender identities and/or gender expressions which fall outside of the dominant societal norm for their assigned sex, is beyond genders, or is some combination thereof. Some people use the term Gender Queer to describe this identity. Queer is a term that is offensive to some when used as a derogatory term. Others have reclaimed and self-defined the word as a form of empowerment.

An intersex person is someone whose sex a doctor has a difficult time categorizing as either male or female. It could also refer to a person whose combination of chromosomes, gonads, hormones, internal sex organs and/or genitals differs from one of the two expected patterns (i.e. male or female). Another way of thinking about it is Intersex refers to a series of medical conditions in which a child's genetic sex (chromosomes) and phenotypic sex (genital appearance) do not match, or are somehow different from the "standard" definition of male or female.

Have any other states or areas done this?

Yes! The laws for non-binary gender markers are changing quickly. As of 2018, nonbinary markers are allowed in some form in Arkansas, California, Colorado, D.C., Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, and Washington state. Bills are pending in Arizona, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York. The first known Intersex birth certificate in the U.S. was granted in New York City.

Does this mean we have to create new restrooms?

In June 2015, the UC Office of the President released guidelines for providing gender-inclusive facilities in UC-owned buildings, including new construction, existing, and renovated structures. The guideline's first phase, which UCSF has accomplished, requires existing single-occupancy facilities on owned property to be signed as gender inclusive. New construction and major renovations will require gender-inclusive facilities on every floor. There are no plans or requirements to change signage designations on gender-specific multistall restrooms.

At UC San Francisco, we want to affirm that individuals have the right to use facilities that correspond with their gender identity without fear, harassment, or inconvenience. We are strongly committed to creating and sustaining a campus environment that affirms, supports, and values all members of our community. Read more.

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